Richard Gilmore
by swimmerluver
Summary: 100 short oneshots/stories about Richard; in response to the fic100 prompt on OLC.
1. Introduction

Richard knew the second she walked in that she needed money. It wasn't a holiday, why else would she be here? He was happy that Rory had gotten into Chilton, but he barely knew the girl. Lorelai had made sure of that. He heard Emily come up with a condition for Lorelai; that they had to come to dinner once a week. He knew that Lorelai's visit meant so much to Emily, which is why he wrote the check. She would do anything to get to spend more time with Lorelai. Her visit, however, brought back the pain. Over the years, the pain had diminished. He knew that once Emily and Lorelai got into their first argument, it would be back.

Richard was right. Lorelai had taken offense to something, and it had resulted in an argument. He had gotten a quick chance to talk to Rory, and she seemed to be a very intelligent young lady.

Emily had wanted him to get to know Rory, so they went golfing together. She was a terrible golfer, but they had had excellent conversation.

As the Friday nights rolled on by, he found himself enamored of this girl. She was the perfect granddaughter.

He didn't dread the Friday nights anymore. Yes, there was still conflict between Emily and Lorelai. But he had Rory. It was the perfect introduction to what could be family. It was a change from the pain that occured every time Lorelai was mentioned.


	2. Love

The moment he saw her, he knew she was special. She was irresistibly beautiful with long, red hair. It wasn't just her beauty that made him start his life over and leave Pennilyn Lott, though. Unlike the other girls he normally spent time with, she was fiercely independent and intelligent. She resisted him at first, which made him fall for her even harder. Once they started dating, his life wasn't the same. Emily had changed him for the better. She brought out the best in him. Even though they argued constantly, it was their way of showing that they loved each other.


	3. Light

Richard had been waiting all day for the girls to come for Friday night dinner. He had been elated ever since he had gotten the call from Headmaster Charleston. Rory had graduated in the top 3 percent of her sophomore class. He was so proud of her. He knew that she was going to grow up and take control of the world. She was a Gilmore, through and through.

He walked into the room, fully prepared to enjoy the celebratory dinner that Emily had put together. He looked up at his beautiful granddaughter only to see a boy next to her. Richard realized that this was her boyfriend. He looked at Dean, and froze. Rory couldn't have a boyfriend. She was supposed to go to college, and date men from society. This boy was certainly not up to the Gilmore standards. Rory was his light. And when he saw her with Dean, the light was quenched, and his dreams for her fell away. So he grilled Dean, to show Rory that he was unworthy of her. And he failed miserably.


	4. Dark

He wasn't even sure what had happened. All he knew was that one day he was focusing on his business, and suing Floyd and Jason Stiles, and the next his wife was staying in a hotel. He knew that he had been distracted over the past few days, and that she was upset over him suing Jason. He had to do what was best for the business. He couldn't take anything personal into account.

He went to the awkward Friday night dinners, and was positive that Lorelai had caught on to their separation. The night of her inn opening, they had the worst argument, and he had finally realized what had been bothering her so much. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her. The police came, she went inside, and the next day she was off with Rory in Europe.

As the days went on, he became increasingly lonely, and realized that she was partially right. Being without her was like being lost in the dark without a light. And he knew that it would be a long time before they could repair what had broken between them.


	5. Seeking Solace

The best thing about having a wife, especially Emily, was the fact that they could go to each other for comfort whenever they needed something. Yes, there were times when they kept secrets from each other, but in the end, it was the solace that kept them going as they finally unleashed their secrets. Emily had comforted him numerous times. Right after they got married, he had had some trouble starting off his insurance career. Emily had been there with him every step of the way, and it had been because of her social skills that he had gotten his most important account. He had comforted his wife many times too, especially when Lorelai was a teenager, and even more so, when she was a young adult who had been in no contact with them. They needed each other to deal with the harsh aspects of life.


	6. Break Away

There comes a time in everyone's life when they become disenchanted with their parents. With some, it can occur when they are very young. And the lucky few will always adore their parents. I thought that I was one of those few, in fact, I am. I always adored my mother. We were very fond of each other, to the point where I even had a pet name for her, Trix. I was filled with so much love for her that I rarely ever saw her faults, though Emily frequently pointed them out to me. She was my favorite person in the world. Even when she tried to push me towards Pennilyn Lott instead of Emily, I knew that she was just doing what she thought was best for me. I never could understand what Emily despised about Trix. It was probably the fact that Emily couldn't take constructive criticism. Then one day my eyes were opened. My mother insulted my daughter, Lorelai, and I could not stand anyone insulting a member of my family. I lashed out at her. I had broken away from my mother. And that was the last time I ever spoke to her. I was devastated the day that she died, and I wished that I could've kept on adoring her.


	7. Heaven

My father had just died, and I was shut up in my study. Emily had done the best she could to comfort me, and Trix was busy getting ready for the funeral. Lorelai was very young and hadn't been told much about it, just that she wasn't going to get to see her grandfather ever again.

Lorelai walked into my study. "Daddy?"

I pushed her away. "Lorelai, I'm very busy right now."

She looked confused. "But you're just sitting there, doing nothing."

When I didn't answer, she continued. "Daddy, is Grandpa in heaven?"

I hadn't realized that she'd figured out that he was dead, not just on vacation, like she had thought when Emily's father died. "Well, I suppose so."

"Then why are you so sad? I thought that going to heaven was a good thing?"

I took her up into my arms, something that I hadn't done in a very long time. "I'm sad because I'm not going to get to see him again."

She contemplated this. "Oh."

And suddenly I realized that the innocent words coming from a child had made me feel much better. I sat there, with her on my lap, and we grieved together. I was thinking of my father in heaven, and she was comforting me, just by sitting there.


	8. Innocence

I loved everything about Lorelai. She was the perfect little angel child that Emily and I had always wanted. Emily fantasized about her coming out to society, wearing beautiful dresses and marrying someone respectable. I pictured her graduating high school valedictorian, going to Yale, and being successful. But at that moment, she was just an innocent little girl. There were so many paths that she could choose in life. And she didn't choose either of our paths. When she got pregnant, I thought that our dreams were shattered. But now seeing her running her own business, I think that maybe part of my dream came true. No matter what, our innocent little girl isn't so innocent anymore.


	9. Drive

For Richard, driving was a sign of independence, and with it a sign of responsibility. He had passed his driving test the first time he had taken it and had never had any problems with the law. Emily had been exactly the same. Nevertheless, he was surprised when Lorelai insisted on learning how to drive. They had just gotten over the shock that she was pregnant. Emily refused immediately, saying that she was going to have enough responsibilities with taking care of the baby. He found her one day stubbornly trying to start the car.

He sighed. "Lorelai, would you like to learn how to drive?"

He showed her the basic motions, but Emily put an end to it, saying that she would not let Lorelai do anything that could possibly harm the baby. But it didn't really surprise him when he found the note saying she had driven herself to the hospital and was going into labor. The car was just the next step of finding her own independence and distancing herself from them.


	10. Breathe Again

_Relax, Richard, you'll be fine_, I told myself. I was the valedictorian of my high school. I had gotten into the most prestigious school in existence, Yale. And I was about to say my valedictorian speech. I loved speeches. They were the easiest thing for me. For some reason, I had frozen up. I couldn't even remember what the speech was about.

As I stood up on the podium, I saw my mother, Trix. She gave me an encouraging smile. And I knew I would go on to make the Gilmore name proud. Suddenly, I could breathe again.


	11. Memory

Richard lay in his hospital bed, alone with only his memories to comfort him. He couldn't remember what had happened. There had been a party, and it was really hot, and he had loosened his tie, and then what? Lorelai's face came into mind for some reason. Had she been there? No, that's right. Emily and her had gotten into another one of their trivial fights. For some reason he needed to see Lorelai. He didn't know why, but he needed his daughter there. All he had were these faint memories of her childhood. He was starting to forget her face even though he had seen her a few weeks ago. He could remember Emily's face perfectly, that had never left his mind since the first time he saw her, and the thought of Rory was comforting, but with Lorelai he needed to see her. A man walked into his room, followed by Emily. He reached for her gladly, reassuring her that he was fine. Rory came to visit next. But where was Lorelai? He drifted into sleep, and when he woke up, there she was. There was his daughter. She started to open her mouth. He had no idea what she would say. There was nothing to say. What could either of them apologize for? Emily burst in again, and he didn't know if he was grateful that she'd interrupted them or not. At least for the moment he had more than just the memory of them.


End file.
